Time to get your bake on!

Laura, Meningitis Now's Believe & Achieve Programme Administrator, is definitely Star Baker in our books and is looking forward to cooking up a storm over the next few months

Is anyone else feeling like this summer’s gone super quick? When I look back over the last couple of months, I’ve had such a full and fun-packed summer. But all at the same time, I feel like I blinked and now it’s time to start thinking about packing away my flip flops and digging out my winter boots. And I’m so not ready!

I never quite feel ready to say goodbye to my favourite season of the year. OK, summer’s not quite over. But the end is near and the darker nights and colder days are not something I relish. I find the winter months especially oppressive. I like light and warmth and having hair that doesn’t resemble something that wouldn’t look out of place in a Lion King show.

What I do love about this time of year, though, (in addition to the amazing colour that Autumn brings) is the fact that shows like The Great British Bake-Off return to our screens. I don’t watch masses of tv; I don’t have the time. But there’s something so comforting about cosying up on the sofa and settling down to watch the Bake-Off, with a cuppa (two sugars) and a big bar of Dairy Milk, or wedge of cake (if you have a very sweet tooth, like me). So you can imagine my excitement at 8pm last night when the show returned with a brand new batch of bakers *cue big cheesy grin from me*.

I probably get far too excited about the Bake-Off. But baking is my passion and I just love the different challenges they set each week; watching the contestants put their skills to the test, grow in confidence as the weeks pass by and try to avoid those pesky soggy bottoms. Because let’s face it, nobody wants one of those!

Staying on trend with the baking theme, another reason I’m excited is that, in the lead up to Christmas, the Believe & Achieve team will be hosting its third workshop day. The day will focus on cooking, with some theory around budgeting and a Christmas-themed bake-off thrown in for good measure. It’ll be an amazing opportunity for young people to come together and learn some new skills, whilst getting excited for Christmas. I won’t say any more than that for now, as we’re still in the early planning stages, but watch this space for more updates over the coming months.